Ligue 1 giants AS Monaco are reportedly closing in on the signatures of the 22-year-old Arsenal forward Folarin Balogun.
According to Fabrice Hawkins, Folarin Balogun is all set to join AS Monaco in a transfer that will be worth €45 million. The Ligue 1 club were keen on acquiring him for a while now. And finally, they have an agreement in place with Arsenal. While the final few details are yet to be sorted, all parties are confident about the deal.
AS Monaco have been on the lookout for a new number nine ever since the start of the transfer window. While they have been linked with quite a few forwards, the Ligue 1 giants identified the 22-year-old as a key transfer target.
They started making moves for his services in the recent past. Monaco even submitted a bid worth €40 million. But, it was not good enough as the Gunners were looking for something close to €50 million. While the bid was rejected, they remained confident and even the player wanted to make the move to France.
With the player keen on joining them, the personal terms were never really a problem. And, once that was sorted, the negotiations with the Arsenal continued. Finally, all parties have reached an agreement and Balogun is set to join Monaco in a deal worth €45 million with bonuses included.
The player is all set to sign a five-year deal with the French club as he looks to take his care to the next level after an exceptional loan spell at Stade Reims last season. The 22-year-old has been at Arsenal since his childhood days. He came up the ranks at the club and made it to their first team last summer.
But, post that he was sent out on loan, as Mikel Arteta could not ensure him enough first-team minutes. He joined the Ligue 1 club on loan and had an exceptional season. The American international featured in a total of 39 matches and ended up playing close to 3,200 minutes. He found the back of the net on 22 occasions and even bagged three assists.
He returned to Arsenal after an impressive loan spell which saw his register 25 goal contributions. Despite his heroics for the French club, Arteta cannot ensure him a place in his squad. And as a result, the Gunners were ready to negotiate his departure.
The €50 million price tag was a bit too much for quite a few clubs. But, eventually, AS Monaco have managed to convince Arsenal for a deal worth €45 million. While a few details are yet to be sorted, both clubs are optimistic about the transfer going through.
